Tuesday

Aug 22, 2017 at 2:00 AMSep 27, 2017 at 10:33 AM

A leak from a punctured gas line forced the evacuation of 5,000 people in Kendall Square on July 28, but data from the Massachusetts Department of Utilities shows that there were another 273 unrepaired gas leaks throughout Cambridge at the start of the year.

Unlike the ruptured gas line, utility companies and government officials have determined these leaks do not pose an immediate threat to public safety. But activists and politicians have warned the leaks are still bad for the environment and for consumers.

Audrey Schulman, president of Home Energy Efficiency Team (HEET), said a recent study by Harvard and Boston universities showed about 2.7 percent of the gas that was supposed to reach consumers in Massachusetts escaped into the atmosphere through leaks. Schulman said the impact of that much methane, which she called “a greenhouse gas on steroids,” is equivalent to the emissions from all of the state's stores and businesses.

Schulman said another study showed the majority of the emissions came from a small percentage of the gas leaks. HEET has been working with the utility companies and another group, Mothers Out Front, in hopes of finding these particularly bad leaks.

“The utility companies are not the bad guys here,” said Schulman. Many of the leaks are due to aging infrastructure, according to Schulman, and the utility companies have been good partners in attempts to update it.

In fact, Eversource has invested roughly $65 million this year to replace 40 miles of gas distribution pipes across Central and Eastern Massachusetts, including 26 gas system enhancement projects in Cambridge, according to Eversource Spokesperson Rhiannon D'Angelo. These upgrades were spurred by a new gas infrastructure law in the state, which required gas companies to replace aging, leak-prone pipe at a faster pace, according to D'Angelo.

There are two additional bills lawmakers hope will increase the pace of replacement. The first, state senate bill S.1767, sponsored by Sen. James B. Eldridge, would require gas leak repairs during certain road projects and is currently waiting for a hearing by the Ways and Means Committee. The second, house bill H.2683 sponsored by Somerville Rep. Christine Barber, would require utility companies to pay for the gas which leaks from pipes before it reaches consumers.

Schulman said despite the good-faith actions by the utility companies, she felt Barber's bill created a “beautiful incentive” for utility companies. According to Schulman, consumers are paying for about $90 million worth of gas that escapes through leaks before it can be used. By transferring this cost back to the utility companies, Schulman felt they may make extra efforts to repair the worst leaks.

Barber agreed with Schulman that the bill, along with its benefits to consumers, could help speed up repairs. “There are a lot of leaks that aren't scheduled to be fixed,” Barber said. “I hope this motivates the gas companies to fix these leaks more quickly.”

HEET and Mother's Out Front are scheduled to host a summit this October to talk about their most recent findings involving gas leaks in Massachusetts and to release their policy proposals.